Cameo vs. explore

I bought my Cameo last year, before the Explore was an option. I have been very happy with it. Personally, the Explore would not be an option for me because you need an internet connection to use it. I scrap almost exclusively at weekend retreats a few times a year and we don't have an internet connection at the retreat house.

The Explore is reportedly a very good machine, but the software seems to be geared more to people who have no desire to create or tweak their own designs. Personally, their software seemed kind of disappointing to me from what they showed on the Internet. However, you can import designs, and use WiFi. If you want to design anything yourself, or tweak a design found elsewhere on the Internet, it seemed like you have to use outside software, which means one more program to learn. As others have mentioned, it requires the Internet, so if your service, or the Provo Craft server goes down or is overloaded by a lot of explore users, you may not be able to cut what you want when you want. On the plus side, it reportedly has a great blade, and it can cut some materials that a lot of machines can't. When I saw a project with a cut leather flower, I was impressed, but the Internet limitation, plus their software limitations are deal breakers for me. Also, according to a video by Ken Hess, the Explore cuts tiny details slightly better than the Cameo, but very slight. There is no cartridge slot in the Explore, so you have to register/link your cartridges, and then they are available in the Explore software. It is not a stand alone machine like the Expression. If you have a lot of cartridges, you can use them with the Explore, but only via the Internet.

I bought my Cameo before the Explore was released, but I would still buy the Cameo over the Explore. The software is relatively easy to use IMO, but it is also very capable for those who want to tweak designs or design their own cutting files from scratch. It is an excellent machine, and the only time you need the Internet is if you are updating or downloading designs. I can make anything I want with it.

Also, there is a big difference between the Silhouette subscriptions and the Provo Craft subscription, for those who may wish to download designs. With Silhouette, once you download a design, you can use it indefinitely for personal use (if you want to use it in a commercial venture, you have to pay a little more). The subscription lets you buy any design from their design library for a significant discount. With a Provo Craft subscription, you have access to about half of their design library, but only while your subscription is active, and the licensed designs still have to be purchased at full price. No discounts. Once you let your subscription lapse, you no longer have access to the designs you used while you had a subscription. Only the designs from your purchased cartridges and that you bought as downloads can be used indefinitely. I do not know what their commercial license is.

There is a learning curve to both machines. Neither is as easy as the Expression. The Expression can stand alone with no computer. The Silhouette Cameo can use an SD card and kind of stand alone at a crop, but I have not used that feature and don't know that much about it. It can be taken to a crop with a laptop, no Internet connection needed. The Explore cannot stand alone at all. Both computer and Internet connection are required.

I have not use the Explore, so my views are from a happy Cameo owner who has read a lot about the Explore. I think there are scrappers here who own both machines and can give additional insights and a more complete comparison.

To a great extent, personal preference and what you want to do with the machine will be factors to consider, too. For those who do not care about the Internet requirement issue or who have no need for adapting designs, the Explore might very well be a better machine than the Cameo. Examples from my own family:

I bought a Cameo for my DD for Christmas. She has very limited finances, but her husband is a graphics design major. The Cameo is more suitable for her because her DH can design files for her, and she will not need to spend another penny for anything other than for blades and mats, and perhaps vinyl. She will not be buying designs. She will be relying on Internet freebies, dingbats, and what her DH designs for her with his graphics software. Her Internet is sometimes wonky. The Explore would not have been nearly as suitable for her. My son, on the other hand, likes to design leather projects, a task which the Explore might be able to handle. The Cameo can cut one type of leather (based on a tutorial I read, but I haven't tried it), but not the kind DS wants to cut. I'm not even sure the Explore cuts that type of leather. He would probably still need a separate program for the kind of designing he would want to do, but the Cameo would not be as suitable for him. Even the Explore might not have enough power. He might need a Silver Bullet.

What Scrapnnana said!! Beautiful, unbiased review of both. The only thing I would add is to actually read about extensively or download both free softwares. The cricut message board has a board devoted to the design space software. Read the issues that they are having with the software. These are things that you really need to know before purchasing either machine. Silhouette does not have it's own forum, but I have learned a huge amount from the Silhouette Plus forum. We are pretty candid about issues we have with the software, but also report the fantastic things we can do with our cameo's. One new thing that has cemented me as a cameo user is the new Pixscan mat. As a stamper/digi stamp user not having to ever fussy cut a stamp again is HUGE!

Megs78 - it really sounds like a pressure issue or a bad blade. Try backing off the pressure a few numbers.

If your mat is too sticky - pat it with a t-shirt and then your clean hands to remove some of the sticky. Also - if you have a lot of paper fuzz on your mat - you can wash it. Use plain warm water and rinse your mat for a few seconds. Then gently rub off the paper bits with your finger tips - but don't scrub off the sticky glue - rinse again with warm water until the paper bits are gone. Shake off the water and let air dry. It will work great again.

Also - what kind of paper are you cutting?  There are some that are TERRIBLE!  Especially Hobby Lobby paper.